Iceman's Fall
by King Henry the V
Summary: Around the time of Thunderbird's latest incarnation joined the XMen, Iceman decides that he's through with being considered a useless child despite his age and experience.
1. Fantastic Four

Authors Note and Disclaimer: 

I do not own any of the rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man. None of these characters are my own.

This story takes place soon after the latest Thunderbird joined the X-Men.

Most people thought of him as a waste of space on the roster. Easily replaceable, and someone who would never be sorely missed. Not many loved his practical jokes, and his wit was unappreciated. After being told so in a manner that lacked any tact whatsoever, Robert Drake decided that it was time to leave the X-Men. Not because he could no longer do any good there, but because Hank was the only one willing to accept him for who he was.

He was unwilling to change for them. They were his friends for a long time, and he thought that they had really cared for him. But when it came to going out on a mission to save lives, they would rather have someone else on the team. It made him angry just to think about it, rage boiling from within. The room temperature dropped substantially as waves of cold emitted from his skin.

Bobby was sitting in the Starbucks by Time Square. His coffee, he found when he tried to drink it, was nothing but a block of ice. He sighed, and set the mug back down. Other customers were complaining of cold mocha espressos.

"Causing more trouble, Popsicle?" asked a familiar voice.

Bobby looked up in surprise to see one fourth of the Fantastic Four: Johnny Storm. "I don't think I ruined your coffee, Johnny."

The Fantastic Four member sat down on the stool opposite Bobby. "Not for long, anyway. Something got you down?" Eventually, the room temperature returned to normal levels.

"Thanks for counteracting my ice powers. I'd hate to see more people upset over coffee."

"Yeah, we've always worked well together. In the process, we got to know each other _fairly_ well. You can't slip depression by me."

"Do I look depressed to you?"

There was a pause while the superhero considered. "You could say that. But the cold waves really give it away."

Bobby rolled his eyes, and then sipped his coffee. "Depressed isn't the word. I'm more ... angry. Or maybe flaming. Right now I envy you your powers."

Johnny shook his head. "We're opposites again. I guess _I_'m the depressed one. Fun things have been going on recently. Too bad we can't trade powers for a day." He looked so upset that Bobby thought he might _cry_. Not standard behavior for the man.

"Yeah, too bad." Bobby was concerned for Johnny, worried that something _devastatingly_ important might have happened. "Look, we're still friends, right?"

"Sure."

"Care to talk about it?"

"You first, Frost Breath." Johnny didn't seem very anxious to let it out.

Bobby shrugged. "Nothing to 'flame on' about, now that I've thought about it a little. To make a long story short, before it gets too late, I argued a bit with the a few of the X-Men, and decided it was time I officially retired from my life as one of them."

"That's rough."

"Not so bad, really. I can always restart my career as an accountant if things get hairy."

"I suppose."

"What's got you so quiet, Hot-Head? Someone borrow your heart? Steal your personality? You're not being controlled by the Puppet Master, are you? What's the matter now? All the questions overloading your brain? If so I'll have to ask a few more."

Johnny smiled to be polite, but the action looked forced. "You hear any news about the Four recently?"

"Nope, sorry."

"Reed ... stretched himself too far. Someone found some a hedge clipper, and decided that Reed was a bush that needed trimming. There wasn't anything we could do. The blood ... Sue almost killed herself. It took both me and Ben to stop her." Johnny's coffee spilled, and Bobby froze it before any harmful stains could afflict Johnny's clothing. Johnny looked like he was in another place.

"She's okay, though, right? I mean, how long ago did this happen? Can ... Is there any way I can help?"

"More questions? No wise-ass remarks? That's not your style, Popsicle. Do I have to worry about your sanity?"

"No, Johnny. You don't have to worry about me. Take me up to Freedom Plaza … I'd like to help out."

"Things aren't the same as they used to be. I don't think –"

"I'm still welcome, aren't I?"

"Well –"

"We're still friends, right?"

"Yes –"

"Then you'll take me back there. And on the way, you'll tell me all the details about what happened. The way you're acting is _not_ characteristic of you. Let's see if we can't get you back to normal? To again make the name 'Human Torch' represent you?"

"The name 'Iceman' never represented _your_ personality. Why should 'Human Torch' represent mine?"

"Because the name you chose for yourself didn't represent your special powers. It represented _you_, and all that you are."

"You are a cold bastard. You don't feel the pain of his loss, do you?"

"Don't worry about me. Don't worry about anything. Come on, let's get out of here already. Both of us are out of coffee, and if I even smell any more it's going to give me the runs."


	2. Comfort and Security

Authors Note and Disclaimer: 

I do not own any of the rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man. None of these characters are my own.

This story takes place soon after the latest Thunderbird joined the X-Men.

"I'm sorry, Parker, but with today's technology, it's cheaper to get our pictures elsewhere."

"Thanks, JJ. I know you would if you could." Peter Parker left the _Daily Bugle_ building more than a little upset, his usually light demeanor leaving him. He was worried about supporting MJ and May, but there very few options open. One that stood out, but MJ was not going to like it.

-

The high-ceiling room was comfortable and _home_, despite Robert's earlier opinion of it being awkward and cold. On the other hand, everyone thought of Robert as being nothing but cold. He picked up that morning's newspaper from a nearby coffee table, and read the headline aloud. "Former Terrorist Leads Fantastic Four."

"Does the paper lie?" asked Johnny, when he saw his friend's reaction. "People know the truth. It's just a ploy to sell newspapers. Don't forget that the news is still a business."

"I can't imagine how discouraging it must be – but every time I hear mutant-bashing, I have that much more respect for the mutants who fight on our behalf." Susan's words were warm enough to prevent Iceman from freezing the room, or would have been if the headline had gotten to him.

"Well, the Fantastic Four is changing," Iceman said, changing the topic. "But it's not finished yet. Are you sure you want this, Sue?"

She nodded, biting her lower lip. Her eyes were wet, but she looked determined. "It's time I took a step back from all this, Bobby."

Johnny put his arm around her in comfort. "You'll stay in touch, sis?"

She smiled. "You can count on it, little brother."

"Bye, Sue," Robert called. He left the room with the newspaper, allowing the three others a private goodbye.

He was considering renaming the team the Fantastic Three, but decided that would not do. He knew that he could not hold up the team without more help – there was simply too much to be responsible for. They needed to find someone who could take up Reed's responsibilities. There were three people he could call off-hand, but only one stayed on his list as he thought it over. Hank was in the X-Mansion, and he was afraid that another X-Man might pick up the phone. He was not quite ready to talk to them yet. Tony Stark was out of the country at the moment, and his position on the Avengers kept him busy enough without taking on more responsibilities.

Before the Invisible Woman even left the apartment, the phone was in his hand. There were two rings before the person on the other end picked up. "Hello?" It was a woman's voice.

"Mrs. Parker?" He was stalling, gathering up the courage to ask for her husband.

"Yes. Who is this?" There was fear and hesitation in her voice. Peter's voice could be heard in the background.

Iceman resisted breathing deeply into the phone and doing a James Earl Jones impression. "Darth Vader," he almost said. After successfully holding back a laugh, he responded. "Iceman, at Freedom Plaza. Can I talk to Mister Parker?"

"Hold on one second." She sounded distant, as if still afraid.

He heard Peter's voice say as he took the phone, "I would have called them."

"If I'd gotten that part last week at the audition, you wouldn't need to–"

"It's not something to blame anyone on, MJ. Let me take this. Hello?"

Iceman took a breath before speaking. Peter had just hinted at wanting to join the team, but he regretted pulling the man from his wife. "Hey, man. What's up?"

There was a pause. "Bobby Drake?"

"_C'est__moi_," he said nonchalantly.

"Speaking French?"

"What can I say, I picked up a couple of things from the Cajun after all." Iceman stood up straight, his tone turning serious. "Pete, I'm sorry I called. Your wife doesn't sound thrilled with your life as Spider-Man."

"She hates the costume. I wish I didn't have to do it either, but it's a calling in me that I can't ignore."

Iceman almost smiled. _Lucky bastard_. _She loves you so much_. He kept up his demeanor. _Time for coldheartedness._ "Susan told me you called a couple of weeks ago, asking if there was any way you could help."

"Yes, I remember. Is there something I can do?"

"Actually ... Susan decided to take an extended vacation. She really needs the time off. What she doesn't know is that there's a dimensional rift forming somewhere in the city, and Ben and I can't figure out how to seal it. I was wondering if you could come by and give us a hand."

"I'll see what I can do," Spider-Man responded calmly, not wanting to further worry his wife.

"We'd also like you to move into Freedom Plaza. Become a regular member on the team. I know it's a lot to ask, but three of us can't keep up with the constant trouble we find ourselves in."

"I understand. We'll have to discuss it."

"Take your time. Just get here soon, before the rift becomes too large to fix."

"I'll be there before you know it. Bye." The line went dead as Peter set down the phone.

Iceman read the article on the Fantastic Four, trying to imagine what the next article on the Four would read.


	3. Enough is Enough

Authors Note and Disclaimer: 

I do not own any of the rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man. None of these characters are my own.

This story takes place soon after the latest Thunderbird joined the X-Men.

The Fantastic Four and the X-Men stood opposite each other on the battlefield. Behind the Fantastic Four was an unconscious form, the long-lost Rachel Summers. She lay on the other side of a dimensional hole, which would engulf all of New York City if anyone tried to step through. The sides had argued, but the X-Men were not going to let up. They wanted to rescue her, and did not seem to care about dimensional stability.

For some reason, they could not bring themselves to believe Iceman. Since he had taken a leadership role in the Fantastic Four, his former comrades had lost all faith in the team. They had proven at least equally effective as under Reed Richards, yet they were still looked down upon by the six X-Men present.

"Rogue, you know us. Let us close the portal before something happens."

Rogue looked down, resigned. "Colossus, keep the Thing busy. Wolverine, Gambit, see what you can do about Spider-Man. Thunderbird, subdue Iceman. Shadow Cat, help me with Human Torch."

The X-Men charged, only to be buffeted by a wall of ice. Before they could get past the obstacle, a ring of flame surrounded the mutants. "Spider-Man, seal that portal. Torch and I will see if we can keep them at bay."

Shadow Cat walked through the two walls of elemental fury, heading towards Spider-Man. The Thing stood in her way, swinging punches that never landed. Each time his fists passed through her, it caused a very strong sense of discomfort. She tried to avoid walking through him.

Elsewhere the ice-wall crumbled, Colossus's organic steel body stepping through. "You must think you're hot stuff," Robert said, not very impressed. On cue, he was dowsed in flame by Iceman's teammate. "Chill." After being heated to over two hundred degrees celsius, his temperature was dropped to around negative one hundred thirty, and then restored to normal. They did not want to kill him. Colossus dropped to the floor, stunned, and in shock.

While they were taking out Colossus, Rogue had come up unseen, and struck the Human Torch. He was knocked through a brick wall, temporarily out of sight. The other X-Men charged through.

Iceman used one hand to create a giant igloo around Spider-Man, his machinery, and the tear in the dimensional fabric. With his other hand, he created an ice-dome around the three X-Men on the ground. That igloo quickly melted beneath waves of plasma, and allowing Rogue to fly forward and strike Iceman.

"That was not a good idea," said Thing, as he pounded Rogue from behind. She was out of the fight for at least as long as the Human Torch.

The Thing took brunt of Thunderbird's plasma blast, along with Gambit's exploding cards. He was slowed, but not halted. He advanced on them, successfully landing a punch on Thunderbird. With the X-Man's plasma out of the picture, Iceman was free to use his cold waves to slow Gambit and Wolverine. He stopped the two by freezing them completely in blocks of ice.

The Human Torch flew in through the window, creating flame barriers to stop Shadow Cat. His fire did nothing but startle her, and Shadow Cat continued her approach. Fortunately, by the time she made it to Spider-Man, the rift was too small for her to step through. She tried to short out Spider-Man's device, but the small circuits were protected by a force field that she unable to penetrate. The battle was lost for the X-Men.

When Rogue re-arrived, she received the news from Shadow Cat. "You just took the life of a friend, Bobby," the self-righteous X-Man said.

He pelted her with a small barrage of ice, not giving her a chance to use her powers. "Don't call me that, I'm not your friend any more. First you and Thunderbird tell me how welcome I am with the X-Men, and then you try to destroy the Universe? To tear it to ribbons? I'm not going to waste my life as a 'hero' when other 'heroes' try to take away everything we've fought for. I've had it. To hell with all of you."

"Bobby, don't you think you're reacting a little strongly?" said Johnny, trying to make his friend see reason. "After all, they thought they were doing the right thing. They didn't see Spider-Man's readings."

"Torch. Shut it. I'm out of here." Iceman left, ignoring protestations.

"What just happened here?" asked Spider-Man. "I pack up my equipment, hear some yelling, and the Popsicle vanishes. What'd you guys do?"

"We did what we thought is right, y'hear?"

"Sure thing, sweet face, but you don't need to yell."

"Didn't we used to have a leader?" asked Spider-Man.

Johnny looked determined. "We still do. Let's go back to Freedom Plaza. For some reason, I don't think we'll be seeing Iceman any time soon. He made his choice."


	4. A New Life

Authors Note and Disclaimer: 

I do not own any of the rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man. None of these characters are my own.

This story takes place soon after the latest Thunderbird joined the X-Men.

**Three Years Later**

A bright-eyed, cheery kid walked up to one of the only other people in the bar. "Hey, you look familiar. Have you ever been here before?"

Robert looked around, hoping that there was someone else the kid was talking to. "No," he said, cold air sinking around him.

"Just hearing your voice gives me goose bumps. Would you like to go somewhere else so you can see where?"

Iceman gave him a funny look. "Did you just say that?"

"I can do more than just say it."

"I think I walked into the wrong place," he decided.

The other looked confused for a moment, and then realization sank in. "Oh. Sorry, this isn't straight night. You did walk in the wrong place." He blushed, clearly embarrassed to have made advances on the man.

Iceman was quick to leave, not bothering to respond. As the door closed behind, he took in the street. There were sparse lamps lighting well enough to define the road's borders, but were not sufficient for much else. A few pedestrians were walking towards the bar he had just left, all men. Not wanting to repeat the scene that transpired a moment before, Iceman walked down the sidewalk, towards what he hoped was the right bar.

The humming of speech was loud in the air, but the former hero ignored it. He tuned the noises out, concentrating on the night's objective. The place was soon before him, the travel time feeling like less than a whole moment. The music coming from the bar was very loud, but also beautiful. Not a word often used to describe bar music, but that was the one that fit.

He stepped through the door, dropping a five-dollar bill into the bouncer's hand. The bouncer considered ID'ing him, but the cold waves gave him enough of a warning not to bother.

There was a large crowd around a stage in the corner, the musician clearly deserving it. Iceman didn't bother checking to see who the woman singing was, instead walking over to the bar to sit beside one of the people he was in town to meet. "Mind if I buy you a drink?" he asked. His body matched his mood at ten degrees below room temperature, but he managed to take the chilled edge off his words.

The woman beside him turned to face the former X-Man with a look of surprise. "Sure." She shook her head, smiling. "Bobby Drake, it's been a long time." He glanced at her drink, an empty bottle of Michelob Light, and ordered her a second. For himself, a Bass Ale. "What are _you_ doing in this little town?" The drinks came, and he paid for them.

He decided not to answer her question right away. Instead, he sipped slowly at his drink, vaguely wondering the same thing. Just when she appeared to be getting agitated, he said something. "I heard a rumor that the X-Men were around here. I had a hunch that one of you might decide to go drinking alone. If there's anything the X-Men don't do, it's stay away from alcohol."

"So what did you do? Check every bar in the area?"

Iceman coughed out a laugh, covering his mouth politely. "No."

She was clearly upset with him. "Drake, you're not the mysterious type, so drop the charade. It doesn't work for you." He raised his eyebrows at the irony of her words. Of course, she could not possibly know what he had been doing over the past couple of years. "You searched me out, why won't you talk to me? Disappointed by which X-person you found?"

"What do you think of the music?" he asked instead of answering.

"The music! That's it, I'm out of here. I came to be alone, I don't need your trash." She rose from her stool, and walked out.

"Nice one, buddy," said the bartender. He whistled in mock appreciation. "I don't think I've seen someone that _cold_ to a lady in quite some time."

Iceman laughed at the irony of the barkeep's words. "She deserved a black eye."

"Oh? What'd she do? Cheat on ya?"

"Not exactly."

"Turn ya down?"

"Not exactly."

"Fuck your best friend?"

"Not exactly."

"Throw me a bone here."

Iceman considered, not wanting to get into it. "All of the above," he said. She had slept with one of the X-Men, and did not respond to any of his not-so-serious advances. Her betrayal felt worse than it had when his ex had cheated on him.

"Huh? That's rough."

"I hear she can be that, too, if you know how to ask." The bartender laughed. "That's all you're getting out of me."

"Suits me. Want another beer?"

"Nope. I think I'll see about that black eye."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"You do that." Iceman left the bar, looking out to make sure the woman wasn't nearby. He sniffed the night air, still unsure of what he was doing. He didn't want to continue, but had no other choice. He hailed a cab, his destination already in mind.

-

Kitty Pryde walked down the sidewalk, thinking about her conversation with Drake. He wasn't acting like his characteristic self. Then again, he disappeared for three years, and there was a lot that could change over the course of time.

She regretted telling Iceman off. She may not have been crazy about him in the days before he left the team, but most of the X-Men have not been the same. As much as she had grown to dislike like the man, she had to admit that he kept people together. Storm, Archangel, Phoenix, and Beast had left the X-Men to find Iceman after the fiasco involving Rachel Summers, but were unlucky in their search. After many months they rejoined the team, but most of the others left and would not come back. Kitty blamed herself.

She realized that she didn't have her communicator on her, and began to grumbl as she walked on. She was heading towards another bar on the same street, quite a few blocks away.

-

This bar was a little quieter, and had no live music. The crowd was roughly the same size, but were better looking. At least, in Robert's opinion. He approached a gorgeous redhead, knowing exactly who she was. She knew him as well, and was surprised when she turned and saw the man who'd tapped her on the shoulder.

"Bobby?"

"Robert. No one's called me Bobby since I was one of the Four."

"We'd just about given up on finding you. When you stopped showing up on Cerebro, we were afraid that you might have been ..."

"Nah, I just called in a couple of favors from some new friends of mine. Got myself some toys to play with, including a personal psi-screen."

"That explains why I didn't sense you when you came close. I was wondering." She smiled, shaking her head, surprised to see him.

"You haven't lost it, Jean." Beast and Archangel arrived, both with image inducers to hide their appearances. "Warren, Hank," he said, the two almost directly behind him. They both held looks of surprise, Robert not even turning around. "Is there a reason why you're surrounding me?"

"How did you know we were here?" asked Hank as he took a seat on a nearby stool. Warren sat on the other side of Jean.

"Your body heat. Everyone has a unique heat signature, like a fingerprint."

Hank's eyes shot up, being obviously. "You can tell the difference? I'm very impressed. You've been training a lot while you've been away from the team."

Robert shrugged. "Not exactly 'training'."

Warren decided to stop being quiet. "Bobby, I'm sorry for what happened. If I were there, things would have turned out differently. You've always been our friend, and no one has the right to challenge you like that."

"You're a little late." Robert smiled. "But all wasn't for naught, I've learned a lot while away from the X-Men."

"We can see that," said Hank. "Why don't you tell us what you've been up to? We should find Ororo first, though, I'm sure she'd love to hear it."

"Sounds like a plan. I was wondering, though," Iceman continued as the X-Men slipped off of their stools, and began heading out of the bar. "Is there still a place for me in the X-Men? I think I'm ready to come home."

"We'd love to have you back, Bobby." Jean's sincerity was evident in her voice. He thought he detected something else there as well.

"Thanks," he said as the four old friends got inside Warren's car. Iceman usually flew nowadays, but even he appreciated the convenience of a car. "Forgetting something?" Robert asked.

"Oh, right," Warren laughed. "Kitty." He stepped outside as he saw her approaching on foot, and asked if she wanted a ride back to the Mansion. She graciously accepted. Kitty was noticeably upset, and too drunk to notice Robert sitting in the front seat.

-

The sun was bright, and the kitchen seemed even brighter. Jean was there in her robe, fixing breakfast for the X-Men, unbeknownst to most of them. Wolverine was outside hunting, or, rather, playing in the woods like a child. His games may have been infinitely more deadly than a child's, but they were still games.

Beast was inside with Jean, helping out in any way he could. He was not much of a cook, but his boundless energy and willingness to help more than made up for a lack of cooking talent/skill.

Warren came downstairs to see breakfast almost ready, and Ororo went outside with Wolverine as soon as she woke up, was to play in a different way than Logan usually did during his private training sessions. Kitty, it seemed, had decided to sleep off her hangover for as long as possible.

Robert walked down to the kitchen, not surprised to find the others there, taking out stacks of freshly-cooked pancakes. They ushered him out to the dining room, and he gratefully sat down with them as the pancakes were served. "Yum," he couldn't resist saying. He dove right in, finishing his meal in record time. "Thank you, _Jean_!" The others were just beginning to eat as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Best meal I've had since OZT." She smiled, glad for the appreciation. Jean responded telepathically, her words causing Robert to blush. A quick usage of his powers cleared the red from his face before anyone else noticed.

Everyone else eventually finished the meal without much conversation. Beast climbed onto the ceiling and cleared the table before anyone could lift a finger. The esteemed scientist and nimble X-Man disappeared into the kitchen a moment before returning to his seat.

Ororo and Logan came in just in time to miss the food. Wolverine did smell it, however, and was quick to raise a protestation. It went ignored, so he reached into a bag at his side, and pulled out an apple with one of his claws. He ate the apple off the claw while the rest of the X-Men questioned Iceman.

"Okay, okay! Calm down! I'll get to all your questions, by and by." The man grinned, a little bit of the old Iceman seeping into the newer, colder one. The more time he spent with the X-Men, the more his personality returned to the one they knew and loved.

"Hey!" was the uniform response from all those gathered.

"Alright. You know why I left the X-Men, right? A couple of 'em said that their lives would be better off without me. Eventually I ended up in the Fantastic Four, and became their leader. We were doing well enough that I earned a Presidential pardon from the President for 'terrorist acts' committed as an X-Man. The press even hailed me as one of the greatest heroes of all time, but nobody really knows why. Only one problem: I still couldn't show my 'human' form to the public. I was pretending to be a man of ice. After a while, I found that I had become one.

"After we faced Rogue's group of X-Men, something clicked. I realized that one slip-up, and the universe could have ceased to exist ... I wasn't fighting because I wanted to prevent the end of the world, but because I wanted to get back at the X-Men. Everything in my life felt empty. I'd become someone different, and I felt this overwhelming need to find out who that was." Robert paused, blinking away the memory.

"I signed up with some mercenaries for a while, learned a new trade. About a year ago, I bumped into Justice, of the Avengers. A few months before, his wife Angelica was assassinated by some mercs. He asked for my help in finding the killer, and I agreed. The guy got caught eventually, but not before Justice was murdered, too.

"I was feeling lost again, and decided that it was time to head back to my old friends. True friends." There was silence for a few minutes. "I didn't expect to come to you. I wasn't really aware of what I was doing."

They embraced him in turn, and assured him that he was welcome. "The X-Men are a family," Jean said to him. "We look after each other; we'll always be here. You're an X-Man for life, Bobby. Just because you leave, that doesn't mean we've forgotten you. You'll always be one of us." So much emotion came through her voice that Robert was left wondering what he had missed over the years. "Don't ever forget that again."

He smiled. "Thank you. Everyone. Even you, Logan, standing in the corner like the island you pretend to be."

Logan spat out a comment with heavy sarcasm. "I appreciate you sayin' that, Drake."

"Good to know." Wolverine growled, but everyone knew the anger was not real.


End file.
